I Understand
by carolinamissy
Summary: This piece was inspired by the question that Gibbs asked Ziva in the episode Family.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing. This just hit me one day, and I had to write it. Won't post again. Would love feedback.

"Tony, wake up." He rolled over and cracked open an eye lid. "What is it? Are we out of Rocky Road, again?" "No, the baby's not moving. I haven't felt him for a while." "It's the middle of the night; if he's smart like his daddy, he's sleeping," he said, both eyes open now and a small smirk on his face. He noticed that she didn't smile at his attempt at early morning humor. He stopped smiling and sat up. "How long is a while, Ziva?" "Since dinner. I think something might be wrong. We need to go to the hospital." They moved at the same time, putting on clothes to leave.

They were sitting in the waiting area of the emergency room a short time later, waiting to be called back. He was holding her hand. Neither was speaking. Every once in a while, he would steal a glance at her. There was a look on her face that he had never seen before. It was the look of pure fear. "Hey, it's going to be ok. I'm sure everything is fine," he said with half a smile and a small squeeze of her hand. "If everything is fine, then why did I not feel him move on the ride over or while we've been sitting here waiting for the call to see the doctor?" Finally, the call came; they went back to see the doctor.

The ultrasound technician ran the wand over Ziva's exposed abdomen. The room was silent. The Doppler picking up no heart tones. Tony and Ziva exchanged worried glances. Tony spoke up, "Isn't that machine supposed to find the baby's heart beat?" "Yes, it is Mr. Dinozzo," the technician said with a polite smile. "However, a few of ours have been on the fritz of late; so, I am going to go get an ultrasound machine for a better look. I'll be right back." She turned off the Doppler and left the room. A few minutes later, she returned with the machine and a doctor.

When the doctor appeared, Ziva tightened her grip on Tony's hand; the worried expression on her face deepened. The technician noticed the shift in mood and said calmly, " Don't be alarmed Mr. and Mrs. Dinozzo, Dr. Blake is just here to supervise the reading of the ultrasound. It's just standard procedure." She rolled the machine to the end of the exam table and began setting it up. When she was done, she signaled to the doctor and he applied the gel and began moving the wand over Ziva's abdomen.

A few minutes passed with no sound in the room. The doctor and technician stared intently at the screen that was turned away from Tony and Ziva. " Why have we not heard anything yet?" Tony asked. Doctor Blake spoke up. "The volume on the machine is turned off Mr. Dinozzo. Nothing to worry about." As he said that, the small, polite smile that was on his face faded. Ziva, who had remained silent through the entire procedure, finally spoke up. "What is it? Is something wrong?" When the doctor looked up, there was concern in his eyes. "I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo, but there is no heart beat. Your son is gone."

For a few moments, no one spoke. Then Ziva, fighting back tears that were rare for her, said, "I want to see him." The doctor glanced at Tony who gave a small nod and then turned the screen toward them. "It was a boy?" he asked. "Yes. You didn't know?" Dr. Blake asked. "No," Ziva said. "We wanted to be surprised." The doctor gave them a sympathetic smile. " I'm sorry for your loss. We'll give you a few moments alone."

For a long while after the doctor and technician left the room, Tony and Ziva stared at the screen. Finally, Ziva broke the silence. "I am sorry Tony." He turned to her, cupping a hand to her cheek. "Me too, Sweet Cheeks." Ziva shook her head. "No, Tony. I am sorry, because it is my fault. If I had spoken up earlier, maybe this would not have happened." Tony took both of her hands in his and pulled her into a seated position. Then, he cupped her face in his hands. "You cannot possibly blame yourself for this. There is no way you could have known what was going on." He took a small breath and continued. "As cliché as it sounds, this is one of those things that just happened." Ziva nodded. "Where do we go from here?" "I don't know. Let's go get the doctor and find out." He kissed her forehead. "You gonna be okay here for a minute?" She nodded in the affirmative. He left to go find Dr. Blake.

After what felt like an eternity, Tony and the doctor returned. "Once again Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo, I want to tell you how sorry I am for your loss." "Thank you," they said simultaneously. "I understand that you want to know where we go from here. Tony and Ziva both nodded silently. "Well, there are two options. You could wait for labor to start on its own, or we could deliver now." " I know that one option is no less painful than the other, but I would recommend that you deliver now. In my opinion, it would only be more painful if you waited for labor to start on its own." After hearing the doctor out, Ziva spoke up. "When would we schedule the delivery, doctor?" "As soon as possible." Tony spoke next. "Would it be a cesarean delivery?" "No. We would induce labor and let the baby come naturally. It will be a faster physical recovery that way." As the doctor spoke, Ziva was taking in what he said. When he finished, she spoke quickly. "Can it be done today?"

Both Tony and the doctor looked at her in surprise. "Ziva, don't you want to wait a couple of days to get things in order first?" Tony asked. When she spoke, the tone of her voice let Tony know that she was letting her professional, unemotional side take over. "The doctor is right. We should do this as soon as possible. It will lessen the pain." Tony took her hand. "Ok, Sweet Cheeks. If that's what you want." Doctor Blake patted her knee. "I'll go find a room for you Mrs. DiNozzo." With that, he turned and left the room.

When the doctor had gone, Tony turned to Ziva. "Ok, Ziva. It's just us now. Tell me the truth. Do you really want to do this today?" She started to answer him, and he held up his hand. " I want an answer from Ziva, my wife, not Ziva the tough Israeli ninja chick from back in the day." This brought a small smile to her lips that quickly faded when she answered him. "The doctor is right, Tony. If we deliver now, it will be less painful. It is hard enough to know that at the end of this day I will become a mother, but have nothing to show for it. I believe that the difficulty would increase ten fold if the wait were prolonged." He nodded. "I understand your point. Do you want me to call the team now, or wait until it's over?" She shook her head. "Do not wait. You should not be alone while we go through this." Ok. I'll call them after you are settled into a room." At that moment Dr. Blake entered the room with a wheel chair. "If you're ready Mrs. DiNozzo, I'll take you to your room.

Tony watched Ziva sleep. She was settled in the hospital bed hooked to the Petocin drip. He and Dr. Blake had convinced her to take a short nap before they started her labor. Tony was glad she had agreed. He knew it was going to be a long day, and she was going to need all the rest she could get. He heaved a sad sigh and pulled out his phone to call Gibbs. After about three rings, Tony heard "Yeah, Gibbs." "Hey Boss. Hope I didn't wake you." "No, DiNozzo, you didn't. What's up? It's 0600 and you're not due in the office until 0800 today." Tony sighed again. " That's why I was calling. I'm not going to be able to make it in today". One the other end of the line, Gibbs smirked. "Got indigestion from a midnight pizza craving again, Tony?" Tony gave a rueful smile. "I wish, Boss. Ziva and I are at the hospital." The smirk faded. "Ziva and the baby ok?" There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Gibbs thought the call had been dropped. "DiNozzo, you still with me?" Yeah Boss, I'm here." Tony rushed on, afraid that if he didn't, he would lose it. "The baby's gone, Boss. We lost him."

On the other end of the line, Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face. " How's Ziva holding up?" She's holding her own. She's sleeping now." "How--" Tony deflected the question. " I need you to do me a favor , Boss." "Name it." I need you to tell the others." "Do you want us to come down there?" "Yeah. Ziva said she wanted you here for the birth." "She's in labor?" "No, they haven't started the induction yet. I'll explain everything when you get here." "Is there anything you need before we get there?" "Yeah. Could you stop by the house and pick up a few things?" Tony gave him the list and told him where to go once they arrived. "Got it. Hang in there DiNozzo. We're on our way." With that, Gibbs disconnected the call.

For a few minutes after he hung up, Gibbs sat there staring at the phone. After he had composed himself, he punched the speed dial for the director. "Leon, I need you to take my team off rotation for today. Tony and Ziva won't be coming in. There's a situation with the baby. DiNozzo has requested our presence at the hospital. I am also putting in the request on their behalf for their family leave to begin today." "How long will your team be out of rotation, Gibbs?" "For the rest of the day and possibly tomorrow. Depends on what DiNozzo needs." "Keep me informed Gibbs." Gibbs disconnected the line without a word and punched the speed dial for Autopsy. "Ducky, is Abby in yet?," he asked without preamble when the M.E. came on the phone. "I'm not sure Jethro. I haven't been to the lab this morning." Could you go see if she is there, and wait with her until I get there?" "Yes, Jethro, I will. Is something wrong?" "I'll explain when I get there." He once again disconnected without a word and was about to speed dial McGee when the elevator dinged, and the probie stepped out. "Hey Boss. I know we weren't supposed to be here until 0800, but I had a thought about the case I wanted to follow up on." "It's ok McGee. I was about to call you anyway. Come on. Ducky and Abby are waiting for us in the lab." "Do we have a new lead Boss?" "No McGee. I'll explain in the lab. As he said this, he was half way to the elevator with McGee slowly jogging to keep up.

A couple of minutes later, the elevator reached Abby's lab. Gibbs and McGee got off. "Hey Gibbs!" Abby greeted with a smile. "Ducky said you wanted to see us. Do we have a new lead in the case? New evidence to test? Where are Tony and Ziva? Shouldn't we wait for them before you give us the new stuff?" She fired off the questions in classic Abby style. "We don't have a new lead Abs, and Tony and Ziva won't be in today. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. It's about the baby." Ducky spoke now. "Is everything alright? Has something happened?" Gibbs turned to face him. "Yeah Duck. They lost the baby." "Oh dear." He muttered at the same time Abby gasped. McGee spoke from behind Gibbs, where he had been standing since getting off the elevator. "What happened, Boss?" Gibbs turned to him. " I don't know, McGee. Tony said he would explain when we got to the hospital. He asked us to stop at their place to get some things before we came. Let's go." He turned, motioning for them to follow, and left the room.

Gibbs and the team arrived at the hospital a short time later. They headed straight to Ziva's room. When they arrived, Tony met them outside the door. "Hey guys. Thanks for coming." He held out his arms for Abby anticipating her hug. While Gibbs and McGee set the bags on the floor, Gibbs spoke. "What happened, DiNozzo?" Tony pulled himself from Abby's embrace and began to explain. "Ziva woke me up for what I thought was going be a run to the fridge for ice cream. Instead, she tells me that she hasn't felt the baby move since dinner. We got dressed and came straight here." Ducky placed his hand on Tony's arm. "What course of action does Ziva's doctor recommend, Anthony?" "He recommended induction, Ducky. They've turned on the drip. The contractions have started, but they aren't too bad yet. She wants to see you all before labor fully sets in." He moved to allow them to follow him into the room.

When they entered the room, they found Ziva riding out the last waves of a contraction. "Hey Sweet Cheeks. The team's here." Ziva gave them all a weak smile as they formed a horse shoe around the foot of the bed. Taking a cleansing breath, she spoke "Thank you for coming." Ducky patted her leg. "There is no place else we would rather be my dear." Abby moved to the side of the bed and reached for Ziva's hand. "Ziva I--" Ziva squeezed Abby's hand. "There is no need Abby I--" At that moment, another contraction began and the grip Ziva had on Abby's hand increased and her breathing pattern changed. Abby countered Ziva's squeeze and helped her ride it out. When it was over, Ziva let go and took a breath. "I am sorry Abby. They seem to be coming closer together." "That's ok. Anything I can do to help." She squeezed Ziva's shoulder and stepped away from the edge of the bed.

McGee spoke up. "Tony, we brought the stuff you wanted from the house. Can we do anything else for you?" Tony started to speak, but Ziva cut him off. "Yes McGee, you can take him to get something to eat. He has not eaten since we have been here." Tony shook his head. "I don't want to leave you alone." " I will not be alone. Gibbs will be here." "Ziva, really, I'm fine here. There's no need for Gibbs to stay." "It's ok DiNozzo. I'll sit with her for a while. I don't mind." "If you're sure, Boss." "I'm sure DiNozzo. Go. Eat." As he said this, Gibbs fixed Tony with a stare. With a quiet "Yes Boss.", he allowed himself to be lead out of the room by what was left of Team Gibbs.

Once the were alone, Gibbs sat on the bed and took Ziva's hand. "Ok, Ziver. Talk to me. What didn't you want Tony to hear." She started to speak, but as she did, a contraction started. Gibbs took her hand and stared into her eyes. "Focus on my face and breathe through it. Slow and easy." She nodded and complied. When it was over, she took a cleansing breath and continued. "I want you to know that I understand." "Understand what?" "What you meant when you asked me if I wanted to have children. I did not think it would be possible for me to bond with the baby before he was born, but I did." As she said this, the tears that she had been holding at bay began to fall. He had only seen her this way one other time. In a room strikingly similar to this one four years before. "Ziva, don't. Not now." He pulled her into a hug. When he did, he felt her body tense and her belly go tight. "Calm down and breathe through it. This is not good for you now. Save it. Concentrate on the now." The contraction ended, and she pulled away. "I am sorry." He smiled. "Yes, I know. A sign of weakness. Right now, however, I am weak." He cupped her cheek with his hand. "You are one of the strongest women I have ever met." At that moment, Dr. Blake entered the room. "Ziva, I need to check your progress. Agent Gibbs, if you'll step into the hall, please. I'll only be a moment." Gibbs rose to leave. Ziva grabbed his arm. "It's ok Ziver. I'll just be right outside. I'll go call Tony and let him know what's going on." He squeezed her arm and left the room. Once outside, he punched the speed dial for Tony's cell.

In the cafeteria, the other members of Team Gibbs sat around a table of half-eaten Danishes and half-full cups of coffee. Abby reached across the table for Tony's hand. "Tony, what can we do for you?" He took her hand. "You're doing it, Abs. Just you being here is enough." Still holding Abby's hand, he turned to Ducky. "I do need to ask a favor of you though, Ducky." "Anything my dear boy." " When the baby is released, Ziva and I want you to take him back to NCIS. We want you to do the autopsy." A mixture of surprise and concern showed on the doctor's face. "Anthony, are you sure you want to put yourselves through that? In cases like this, an autopsy is not required." Tony nodded. "Ziva and I want to know how he died." " Cause of death is sometimes also hard to determine." "I know that too, but we still want to know." McGee, who had been quiet for most of the snack break, spoke up. "Tony, what can I do?" Tony turned to him and smiled. " Be here, Probie. Just be here." As he said this, his cell phone began to ring. He answered. "Boss, is something wrong? Ok. We're on our way." He flipped the phone closed. "What's going on Tony?" McGee questioned. "The doctor's in with Ziva. He's checking her progress and is about to come back with an update." They rose simultaneously from the table and left the cafeteria.

When they got to Ziva's room, the door was open. Gibbs the, doctor and a nurse were with her. Tony spoke as he entered, the others following behind him. "Ziva, are you ok?" "I am fine, Tony." " She is fine, Mr. DiNozzo. Progressing nicely. Quickly, in fact. I was just explaining that once I break her water, the baby will come with in a few minutes. She said she wanted to wait for you." He gestured to include the team. " You are all welcomed to stay. Family support is strongly encouraged." Tony and Ziva started to nod in agreement, but Gibbs held up his hand. " We'll wait out in the hall. This is a private moment. DiNozzo, you can come get us when you are ready for us to be here." He went to the bed and kissed Ziva's cheek. He turned from the bed and motioned for the others to follow, and they left.

Doctor Blake closed the door behind the team. The nurse, who had been preparing for the procedure turned to him. "Everything is ready, doctor."

"Thank you nurse. Ziva, slide toward the end of the bed." She pulled herself up and did as he said. "We won't need to break the bed all the way down. Pull your knees up and let them fall to the sides of the bed. Tony, climb behind her and let her lean against you." Tony followed the doctor's instruction. "Ziva, when the contraction comes, pull your chin to your chest and push down into your bottom. Once I rupture the membrane, it will go quickly. Are you ready?" He was at the end of the bed looking up at Tony and Ziva. They nodded. "Ok. You'll feel a little pressure while I break the bag." He inserted the hook, and Ziva winced slightly. "There. Now, we wait." It only took a couple of minutes for the contraction to start. Ziva tensed and took a breath. Tony squeezed her shoulders. "Ok Zee. Here we go." She put her chin to her chest and began to push.

"Slowly Ziva," the doctor said. " The baby's small, and we don't want him to come too fast." Tony whispered encouragement in her ear. The contraction ended and she collapsed against him. "Very good," the doctor praised. "That brought the baby down. He should be here in the next two contractions. Rest until the next one." He patted her knee. Ziva rested her head against Tony's chest and took a cleansing breath. He kissed the top of her head. As he pulled away, she tensed again. "Here comes another." She bore down. The contraction had not ended when the doctor said, Ziva, don't push just now. The head is out. Pant slowly." She did, and the doctor rotated the baby to bring the shoulders. "Ok Ziva. One more push and the baby will be here. Push." She bore down, and after a moment, felt the baby break free from her body. She collapsed against Tony at the same moment the doctor said, "The baby's here." Tony looked over Ziva's head to the foot of the bed.

"Tony, do you want to cut the cord?" Tony nodded in the affirmative and went to the foot of the bed. He took the scissors the nurse offered and cut where the doctor indicated. "We'll get him cleaned up so you guys can hold him." He wrapped the baby in a blanket and passed him off to the nurse. A few minutes later, the birth was done, and Ziva was resting comfortably. The doctor brought the baby over, and handed him to Ziva. We'll give you some time alone. Would you like me to inform your family?" "Yes," they said simultaneously. "Tell them we want to see them," Ziva said. The doctor nodded. He and the nurse left the room. Tony stood next to Ziva and stroked the baby's cheek. " He's beautiful," Ziva said. "He looks like you, Tony. Here, you take him." She slid over so he could sit down. He took the baby from her. " I've been thinking," he said. "I don't think we should have a big funeral. I think a small ceremony will do." Ziva gave him a questioning look. "You do not want to have him christened in a church?" Tony shook his head. " I think that would be too much. I kind of just want it to be us and the team. You know. Family." Ziva nodded. "I understand." At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

Doctor Blake left the room in search of the DiNozzo family. He found them huddled together in the waiting room. "Agent Gibbs?" At the sound of the doctor's voice, Gibbs turned. "Yes?" Doctor Blake smiled politely. " I came to let you know that the baby has been born. Tony and Ziva are asking for you. You all are welcome to go in when ever you are ready." Thank you, doctor." The doctor nodded and continued down the hall. Gibbs turned to the others. "You guys ready?" They all nodded and followed him as he turned to go down the hall.

Ziva answered the knock with a soft "Come in." Abby poked her head around the door. "Hey guys. Feel like some company?" she asked. Tony smiled at her. "You bet, Abby. Come on in." She opened the door bringing with her the rest of the team. The filed into the room and gathered around the foot of the bed. Tony stood up with the baby. "Ziva and I have someone we'd like you to meet. Our son." He walked to where Abby stood and held the baby out to her. "You wanna hold him Abby?" She hesitated. "Tony, this time is for you and Ziva. I don't want to intrude." Ziva spoke up from the bed. "It is ok Abby. Tony and I have had our time. We want you to have some time too." Abby nodded in understanding and took the baby from Tony. She held the baby for a minute and passed him off to Ducky. " He is a lovely boy. Have you given thought to his burial?" "Yes. We want to have a small ceremony with only the team in attendance," Ziva said. As she spoke, Ducky handed the baby to McGee. "Have you guys decided on a name?," he asked. He turned and gave the baby to Gibbs as Ziva spoke. " We began the discussion of a name soon after we found out he was coming. We wanted to him to have a name that meant something to us and would give him a strong since of family and pride as he grew." Her voice became thick with emotion that was rare for her. Tony took over. "We wanted his name to give honor to important people in his life and ours. We also wanted it to reflect his heritage." Ziva found her voice again. "We chose Logan, because it is a strong Scottish name." She looked at Ducky and smiled. "Joseph pays homage to Ziva's Hebrew heritage," Tony said . " His Italian roots would run strong and deep, because he will always be a DiNozzo, "Ziva said with a sad smile. Abby spoke up, "Hey. He's an L.J. like you, Gibbs." Tony made eye contact with Gibbs. "Yeah, Abby that's the other thing. I always thought if I had a son, I'd like to name him after his grandfather. The whole time Tony was speaking, his eyes never left Gibbs's face. " My dad was never really there; so, I never had much in the way of a father figure. Until I met Gibbs. So, since he was the closet thing to a father figure I had, I figured he was going to be the closest thing my kid was going to have to a grandfather. That's why he's an L.J., too." Gibbs handed the baby back to Tony. A look that spoke volumes passed between the two men but went unnoticed by the others in the room. There was a knock at the door, and Dr. Blake and a nurse entered the room. " I apologize for the interruption, but we need to take the baby now." The nurse stepped forward, rolling an isolette in front of her. "Can we have one more second?" Tony asked. The nurse nodded. The team gathered around Tony. Each laid a hand on the baby. He went to Ziva's bedside and handed her the baby. "Anee ohevet otkha." she said. Then she kissed his cheek. She handed the baby back, and Tony walked to the isolette. As he place the baby in the bed, Gibbs squeezed his shoulder.

He looked over his shoulder at the nurse. " You can take him now." She gave Tony a sympathetic smile and wheeled the baby out of the room. When she was gone, Dr. Blake approached Tony with a stack of papers. " I brought the release forms and the birth certificate for you to sign. The person you choose to release the body to needs to be present to sign that form. If we need to, we can wait until tomorrow so you can make any necessary arrangements." Tony shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Joseph is going back to NCIS. He is being released into Dr. Mallard's care." The doctor nodded. "Very well." He place the papers on the table near the bed and handed Tony a pen. He signed where indicated and passed the pen to Ducky who did the same. Ziva and Tony then signed the birth certificate, and the doctor collected the papers. The doctor then spoke to Ziva. "I'll come by later and do a follow up exam. If everything checks out, I'll release you tomorrow." "Thank you doctor," she said. He nodded and left the room.

When the doctor had gone, Gibbs turned to Tony. " DiNozzo, we're gonna go now. Call me tomorrow when the doctor says Ziva can go home, and I'll come help you." Tony shook his head. "There's no need, Boss. Ziva and I can manage on our own. I will call, though to let you know when we are able to leave." "Ok. But call if you need anything before then." Tony knew not to ignore the unspoken order. "Will do, Boss." Gibbs walked to the bed and leaned in to kiss Ziva's cheek. She touched his arm and looked up at the others. "Thank you all for coming." They smiled at her. Gibbs motioned to them that it was time to go, and they left. A short time after the team had gone, Doctor Blake returned to examine Ziva. He told them they could go home at ten in the morning. He left and returned with discharge papers. Once they were signed, he left again. Tony and Ziva were finally left alone to grieve.

Finally completely alone for the first time that day, they sat in silence for a long while. Ziva broke it. "We should think about what we want for the ceremony." "Ziva, it's been a really long morning. I don't think putting it off for a couple of hours would hurt. You need to eat something and take a nap. After you do that, then we'll talk about it," Tony said. " I do not think we should put it off for long." "We won't. I'm going out to make some calls and get you something to eat. What would you like me to bring you?" She thought for a moment. "Some soup and a cup of tea." He smiled. "Soup and tea coming up." He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. "I love you Sweet Cheeks. I'll be back in a few." He stood to leave. "You'll be ok alone?" "Yes. I will be fine." He went to the bags that the team brought earlier and pulled her cell phone from one of them. "I went through your purse and saw this was gone. Figured you left it charging. Had them bring it." He tossed it to her. "Call me if you need anything else." "I will." She smiled at him. "I love you, Tony." He gave her a peck on the cheek and left the room. While he was gone, Ziva called for the nurse to help her with a bath. Not long after that was done, she fell asleep.

Tony made it to his car. The first call that he made after getting in was to Gibbs. He didn't have to wait as long this time for Gibbs to answer. It only took one ring. "Yeah, Gibbs." "Hey Boss," Tony replied. "Everything ok, DiNozzo?" "Yeah. We're fine. Just calling to let you know that the doctor is releasing Ziva at ten in the morning." "OK. You sure you don't want me or one of the others to come by to help you get home?" "No boss. That's ok, we'll be fine. Thanks though. Listen, I have to go. I'm out getting Ziva something to eat, and I still need to call Ducky to let him know that he can come get Joseph." "No you don't. He's here." Tony was confused. "Ducky's in the squad room with you? Great! Let me speak to him." On the other end of the line, Gibbs gave a look that would have been followed by a head slap had Tony been there. "No, DiNozzo. Joseph is here. We brought him back with us. Doctor caught us in the hall and told Ducky that since the papers were signed, the baby was free to go anytime." Stopped at a red light, Tony laid his head on the wheel and heaved a sigh. "Thanks Boss. That really takes a load off." "No problem. Ducky said he would do the autopsy today and give you the results when you got home. I'll let him know what time Ziva is being released and have him call you." At this point, Tony was in the parking lot of the restaurant. "Listen Boss, I have to go. I am here to get Ziva's food. Thanks again." "No problem DiNozzo" They both clicked off without a word. Tony went in to get the food.

After disconnecting with DiNozzo, Gibbs dialed Ducky. "Autopsy," came the reply when the ring was answered. "Hey Duck. Just got off the phone with DiNozzo. Ziva's being released from the hospital at ten in the morning." "Ok Jethro. I'll give him a call tomorrow evening." " I told him you would, but I want you to hold off on that. I have something else in mind." He filled the M.E. in on what he was planning and hung up. He then called Abby and told her. He knew McGee was in the lab with her following a lead, so he asked her to fill him in and hung up.

Tony found Ziva sleeping when he came back to the room. He tried to be quiet as he set the bags of food down, but she woke up. "Sorry I didn't mean to wake you." "It is ok. I have only been asleep for a short while, and I am starving." He smiled. "We can't have that. Let's eat." He set the food up, and they began to eat. After they had been eating for a few minutes, Ziva spoke. "We should make burial plans now." Tony nodded. Ziva continued. "I think we should have the ceremony on Thursday." Tony looked at her in surprise. "That's a little soon don't you think? We don't even know where we want to burry him." " I think he should be cremated and the ashes should be scattered around the oak tree in our back yard. You know, the one that you have said would make a good place for I believe what you called a tree house" Tony smiled at the memory of the conversation she was referring to. He remembered telling her then how much fun he and Abby were going to have in trying to con Gibbs into building it. "That's a good idea. I like it." She nodded. "Who should we get to officiate? Do you have a rabbi or priest in mind?" "I do not think we should have a member of the clergy. I want to ask Ducky to say a few words and give the others the opportunity to speak if they wish." "I don't think Ducky will mind speaking. I'll ask when I call to see if he can help arrange an appointment with the crematorium." By this time, they had finished eating, and Tony cleaned up the remains of the meal. " You should try to go back to sleep. I'm gonna go call Ducky and get a blanket from the nurse. Then, I'll join you." "Ok." Tony stepped outside and dialed Ducky.

The M.E. answered the phone on the second ring. "Hey Ducky. It's Tony. Ziva and I have made some arrangements for Joseph, We need your help." "Certainly, Tony. I'll do anything I can to help. What did you have in mind." "We want to hold the ceremony on Thursday, and we want to have him cremated. I know it's short notice, but I was hoping you had a favor or two you could call in." "As a matter of fact, I do, and I would be happy to use that favor for you." "Thanks Ducky. Ziva and I really appreciate it." "You are more than welcome, dear boy." "Listen, Ducky, there's on more thing. This one's kinda personal. Ziva and I don't want to have a member of the clergy there. We just want it to be us and the team. So, since there won't be an officiate there, we were wondering if you would say a few words." On the other end of the line, the doctor gasped. "Anthony, I would be honored." They talked for a few more minutes with Ducky promising to call back when he had arranged the appointment. Tony got a blanket from the nurse and went to take a nap.

They had been asleep for a few hours, when Tony's phone rang, waking them. "Hello," Tony answered groggily. "Tony it's Ducky. Did I wake you?" "Yeah, but that's ok." " I am so sorry my dear boy. I'll be quick then. You have an appointment with the crematorium on Wednesday at eleven." "Thanks Ducky. I really appreciate your help." "Think nothing of it, Anthony. It was my pleasure." "Ziva and I will come by and pick him up at around ten thirty." Ok. I will have him ready." Tony thanked him again and hung up. He filled Ziva in.

That night, after leaving NCIS, the team gathered at Tony and Ziva's to carry out Gibbs's plan. They brought food to stock the refrigerator and cupboards. They also brought cleaning supplies and were cleaning the house. While they were working, Ducky cornered Gibbs. He told him about the conversation with Tony earlier in the day. " I do not think they should go alone. I would go with them, but I have a meeting to attend." Gibbs nodded. He called McGee and Palmer into the room. "Joseph is being cremated on Wednesday morning. Tony and Ziva need someone to go with them to escort his body and to support them. Ducky and I can't go. Palmer, since Ducky can't go, escorting the body falls to you. You up for that?" Jimmy nodded a little nervous. "Yes, Sir." Gibbs turned to McGee. "Tony looks at you like a brother, McGee. I think you are the logical choice to be there with him through this. Think you can handle it?" McGee nodded. "Sure Boss." Gibbs nodded and told them to get back to work. They finished and left the house.

The next morning found Ziva and Tony packing to leave. "I cannot wait to get home and sleep in my own bed," Ziva said. Tony smiled at her and gave a small chuckle. "Yeah it's only been a little over a day but it feels like a lot longer, huh?" As he spoke, a nurse came in with a wheel chair. "Ziva began to protest. "I'm sorry Mrs. DiNozzo, but it is hospital policy. She looked at Tony. "Come on, Zee. She's just doin' her job." Ziva relented and got in the chair. They went down stairs to the parking lot. As they came outside, Tony was fishing out his keys and saying, "I'll go get the car and be right back." A few minutes later, he returned, and he and the nurse loaded Ziva and their things in the car

They arrived at the house, and Tony helped Ziva from the car. They went inside and found the surprise the team had left behind. Ziva found the note Abby had left on the table. She read it out loud.

_**Tony and Ziva,**_

_**Gibbs told us that you wanted to do this on your own and didn't need any help. He said that you guys were just being stubborn, and we were going to help whether you liked it or not. (Sounds like someone else was being stubborn too, huh?) So, we cleaned a little, and there's food in the fridge. We just wanted you guys to know that we're here for you. See you on Thursday.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Abby**_

Tony smiled. "It's nice to have family, isn't it?" "Yes, it is." Tony started toward the bedroom. "Why don't you change go lie down while I put these things away?" Ziva shook her head. "I have been in bed for almost two days. I need to move around. I think I will go and pack up some of the things in his room. Tony frowned. "Don't do that now, Ziva. It's too soon. Let's wait a while. I'm kinda hungry. Let's see what they left us to eat and find a movie to watch." She nodded. As she turned to place the note back on the table, she saw another envelope. "Tony," she called softly. He came back into the room. "Yeah, Sweet Cheeks?" She held up the envelope for him to see. "Ducky left the autopsy results." He crossed to where she stood and took the envelope from her. "We'll read them together after we've gotten comfortable. Come on, let's get changed." He place the envelope back on the table and lead her out of the room.

A few minutes later, Tony and Ziva were seated on the sofa, the autopsy results between them. "You ready for this?" "Yes." He opened the envelope. They were surprised to find that there were no results, instead, a hand written note from Ducky. Tony read it out loud.

**Tony and Ziva,**

**I know you expected to find the cause of Joseph's death**

**here. I wanted to spare you the heartache that the results of **

**the autopsy might bring. Unfortunately, my dear ones,**

**I was unable to determine the exact cause of death. In situations**

**such as these, that is often the case. I am so sorry that I **

**could not bring you further closure. I do have the results**

**and will give them to you should you ever wish to see them. **

**Please know that you are in my thoughts, and I will be**

**here to help you through this in any way that I can.**

**Warmest Regards,**

**Ducky**

Tony finished and folded the letter. He looked at Ziva with a sad smile. "I guess it was just one of those things that wasn't meant to be." She nodded. He took her into his arms and flipped on the DVD player. They spent the rest of the day watching movies on the couch.

The next morning, Tony and Ziva headed to NCIS. When they arrived, they found Ducky and Gibbs waiting for them wit the baby. "Hey Ducky. Hey Boss. You guys didn't need to be here. Ziva and I can manage. We know you have work to do." "We're sure you can DiNozzo, but you shouldn't be alone in this. Ducky and I can't go with you. So, Palmer and McGee are waiting for you at the crematorium. Ziva started to speak. "That is--" Gibbs cut her off with a stare. He walked past them, squeezing Tony's shoulder on his way out. "Thanks Boss." Ziva turned to Ducky. "Thank you for all that you did." "Think nothing of it, my dear. Come, I'll walk you out." He stepped in front and lead them out of the room.

When they got to the crematorium, Palmer and McGee were waiting out front. "Thanks for coming guys. You don't have to stay. McGee gave Tony a look that said _**Yeah, right. **_"Tony. You know that if we left you here alone, Gibbs would head slap us into next week." Tony chuckled. "You're right Probie. Guess you better stay." He made a move to the back of the car to get the baby. Palmer spoke up. "We'll do that. Take Ziva inside." Ziva smiled at him. "Thank you Jimmy." He and McGee got the baby while they went inside. A short time later, they had finished and stood outside ready to leave. "Thank you for coming," Ziva said. "Yeah Probie. Thanks for coming." "Anytime Tony. You want us to follow you home?" That's ok. We can manage. Thanks again. With that, they parted ways.

Thursday morning dawned clear and bright. Tony and Ziva rose early to prepare for the service. Abby and McGee arrived first followed by Ducky and Palmer. Gibbs came last. When they had all gathered, Ziva lead them out into the yard around the oak tree. "Thank you all for coming. It means so much to us that you came today. Tony and I feel blessed to know that you are here for us in our time of sorrow. It is also a comfort to know that Joseph would have had you in his life to help him grow into a wonderful person. We know that he would have been very loved." She turned to Tony. "Ziva and I didn't want to have a member of the clergy present, so, I asked Ducky if he would say a few words. Ducky, if you're ready." The doctor smiled. Thank you Anthony. First, I want to thank you and Ziva for asking me to speak. It is a great honor. I wanted the words that chose today to be simple and to pay respect to both you and Ziva. So, I chose a Hebrew blessing that comes from the book of Numbers and a passage from the book of Matthew." He began to recite:

**The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. **

**Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me. Do not hinder them. For **

**such is the kingdom of Heaven."**

"Thank you Ducky. That was lovely," Ziva said. Tony spoke next. "Before we finish, I want to explain why we chose to scatter Joseph's ashes around the tree." As he said this, he looked at Abby and smiled. "A while back, Abby and I were talking about all the fun things we were going to do with the baby when he got older. I told her about the club house that my grandfather built for me in his back yard. As we talked, I thought about this tree and how cool it would be to have a tree house here. She thought it sounded cool too, even said she would help me con Gibbs into building it." He shot Gibbs a look. Gibbs returned a small smile. "I want to have a tree house here for our other children, and I thought it would be nice for him to be close by while they enjoyed it. Tony asked the others if they would like to speak. They declined. Ziva walked to each of them. As she approached, she said, "We would like for you to help us spread his ashes around the base of the tree. We know that each of you would have touched his life in a special way. So, we feel that it is only fitting that you help carry him to his final resting place." When she had finished speaking, each person had reached into the urn, and she and Tony held it between them. They all circled the tree and scattered the ashes. For a few moments, they all stood silently. Tony broke the silence by saying, " Ziva and I want to thank you for cleaning the house and brining the food. We would love it if you would stay for a while and share some of it with us." They all went inside.

A couple of hours later, the team had gone, and Tony and Ziva were cleaning up. "Today was nice," she said handing him a plate to dry. "Yeah, it was," he said. Ziva was quiet for a while and then spoke again. "I did not want him." Tony nearly dropped the glass he was holding. "What?!" "I did not want him. The baby. When I first found out." He turned to face her. "You actually thought about not keeping him," He asked stunned by her revelation. "Were you going to suggest we put him up for adoption? Or were you--" He couldn't finish the thought. She continued. "I did not want him because I was afraid of the kind of mother I would be. I did not think it would be fair to bring a child into the world whose mother did not want him. I did not want to deprive you of your chance to be a father. I learned to accept him. Eventually, I came to love him and got over my fear. I would have never suggested that we give him away or--" Now she could not finish the thought. He took her in his arms. "Oh Ziva. I had no idea you felt that way. Why didn't you tell me?" "I did not want you to feel that you had to compensate for the love I could not give our child. He took the dish rag from her. "Come on. It's been a long morning. We'll finish this later. Let's go relax." He lead her into the living room. They stayed there for the rest of the day. Dishes forgotten.

Two weeks had passed since the baby's death. It was just before midnight one night, and Gibbs was in the basement working on his boat. He heard foot steps on the stairs. He wondered who would be coming by at this hour of the night. He listened for a moment and then relaxed. He recognized the foot steps and went back to sanding. A few seconds later, Tony called out to him. "Hey Boss." Gibbs looked up. "Everything ok, DiNizzo?" "Yeah. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd swing by." Gibbs grunted and went back to his sanding. Tony walked to the work bench and picked up a piece of sand paper and began playing with it. He put that down and walked over to the shelf where Gibbs kept the bourbon. He picked up the bottle. "Looks like you're running low, Boss. Should have brought you another." He set the bottle down and walked back towards the bow of the boat. As he came around front, he noticed the rocker. He sat in it. "This is nice. Taking up furniture making, Boss?" Gibbs looked up. "Nope. Special project." "Oh." Tony sat silently rocking in time to the sound of Gibbs sanding for a while before he spoke. "We packed up Joseph's things tonight." Gibbs stopped sanding and came around to sit in the front of the boat facing Tony. "How'd it go?" "It was rough, Boss." "Ziva ok?" "She's fine. Now. Sleeping. I waited until she fell asleep before I left. I had to get out of there." He had stopped rocking and began to wander around the basement. As he paced, he spoke. "I could tell that she still feels guilty." "Why does she feel guilty? She think something she did caused his death?" "No. She feels guilty, because she didn't want him. She thought she would make a bad mother. Didn't think it was fair to bring a child into the world when his mother didn't love him." His pacing brought him to a piece covered in tarp. He absently pulled at the corner. "Another special project, Boss?" Gibbs nodded. "Uh huh." He leaned on the covered piece and continued. "Funny thing is, she isn't the only one who feels that way. I was afraid I would be just like my father." Gibbs shook his head. "Every parent feels that they won't measure up at some point, DiNozzo. That's natural. As for you being like your father, that would never happen. I'd head slap you into the next millennium if it did. You are a far better man than your father will ever be. Have you told Ziva how you feel?" Tony shook his head. "You should." "I know, Boss. I will."

He pulled himself up off of the tarp. "It's a good thing we didn't buy crib. Ziva said that was the last piece that would make his arrival "official". She wanted to pick out just the right one. As he stood, the tarp fell away. Underneath was a beautifully hand carved oak crib. Tony stared at it in stunned silence for a moment. Then he looked to the rocker he had been sitting in. They matched. He made the connection. "Boss? You did this for him?" "Yeah, Tony. Abby was planning a surprise baby shower for you. These were my gifts."Tony hung his head. "I'm so--" "Don't say it DiNozzo." "But, you went to so much trouble. All that effort is wasted." "No. It's not. You said the other day there might be others. You can use it for them." "I'm not so sure now." "You change your mind already?" "No. Knowing how Ziva feels, though, there may never be more children." "Give her time. She'll come around." "I hope so, Boss. I hope so." "Only one way to find out. Go home. Talk it out." "I think I will. Thanks for listening Gibbs." He headed toward the stairs. As he passed, Gibbs stood and head slapped him. "What was that for?" "For being sorry and for saying that my effort was wasted. You should know by now that I never do anything if I feel it isn't worth my time or effort. And you know how I feel about apologies." "You're right Boss. Thanks again."

Tony had taken the advice that Gibbs had given him eight months before and talked things over with Ziva. It was this talk that found Ziva in Abby's lab one day in April. "Abby, I need you to run a blood test," She said handing Abby a vial. "New evidence?," she asked. "No. It's personal." Abby looked concerned. "Ziva, what's wrong? Are you sick?" "No. I think I might be pregnant." Abby began to jump up and down squealing. "No way! Does Tony know yet?" "No. I want to be sure before I tell him. I do not want to get his hopes up. We have not be trying to get pregnant, but we have done nothing to prevent it. If I am not, then there is no need for him to know that I thought I was. When you get the results, I would appreciate it if you keep them to yourself. I would like to be able to tell him myself." Abby smiled. "You got it. I'll get right on it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you guys. Yay! A baby!" "Thanks Abby. I really appreciate it. Text me when you have them." "Sure thing."

After an hour of waiting on pins and needles, Abby's text came, and Ziva went to the lab. When she arrived, Abby was standing at the computer, her back to the door. "I am here Abby." Abby turned around. There was a huge grin on her face. "You're pregnant!" Ziva muttered something in Hebrew and placed a hand on her abdomen. "You'll need to make a doctor's appointment to confirm how far along you are, but you are most definitely pregnant." "Thank you Abby." "You are happy about this, right?" she asked concerned. Ziva smiled. "Yes. Just a little surprised is all." "Good. I'm happy for you too." She gave Ziva a hug. "When are you going to tell Tony?" "Tonight. I do not want to put it off." You don't want to wait until you know how far along you are?" "No. He will want to be there for the first appointment. We will find out together. Thank you again Abby." She left the lab, ideas of how to tell Tony running through her head.

Later that night, Ziva was at home waiting for Tony. He had gone to back to NCIS to get some files that he had forgotten. While he was gone, Ziva had gone to the video store to get the things she needed to break the news to Tony. It was movie night, and she had some special features planned. She was just putting the popcorn out when Tony came in. " Now I can relax and enjoy movie night." he said tossing the files on the table and plopping down on the sofa. She joined him. "Everything is ready." "Good. It was your night to pick. What's on the marquee tonight? Action? Adventure ? Comedy?" "The DVD's are on the table. I picked three. Why don't you choose the first one?" "Ok." He picked up the movies and read the titles out loud. "_Sleeping Beauty. The Fox and the Hound. Toy Story. _Cartoons. Fun genre. Satisfying your inner child tonight, Sweet Cheeks?_"_ She smiled. "Something like that. It is more like the child within, not the inner child." She took the DVD's, freeing his hands and placing one of them on her abdomen and holding the other. The words she said finally sank in. He gave her a questioning look. "The child within?" "She smiled and nodded. "I think with the baby coming, we will need to be familiar with what is acceptable for them to watch on movie night. Don't you agree?" "You're pregnant?" Still smiling she said, "Yes." "When did you find out?" "Today." "You never left NCIS. Did you take a test in the bathroom?" "No. I wanted to be certain, so, I had Abby run a blood test." "So, the team knows?" "Just Abby. I asked her to keep it to herself. We can tell the others together." "How far along are you?" "I am not sure. The doctor will need to confirm that. I thought you would like to be there when he does." They sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Ziva spoke. "You are happy about this, yes?" He flashed her a full on smile. " More than you know Sweet Cheeks." "Good. I am glad." "Are you happy?" he asked. "Yes." He kissed her. "Let's tell the others tomorrow." They spent the rest of the night satisfying their inner child and rejoicing over the child that was to come.

The next morning when they arrive in the squad room, Gibbs and McGee were already there. They all exchanged morning greetings. "Hey, Boss. Do you know if Abby and Ducky are here yet?" Tony asked. "Yeah they' re here? Why?" "Ziva and I have something we need to share, and we want the whole team present." "This have anything to do with the files you took home last night? You find something in them?" Ziva spoke now. "No Gibbs, this is personal." "Everything ok, Ziva?" McGee asked. "Everything is fine. Do not worry. We will tell you when we are all together." Gibbs was getting slightly annoyed with this exchange. "Ok. Let's get this over with. We have work to do. McGee, call Abby and tell her to come up here. Dinozzo, call Ducky and Palmer." They did, and the missing members of Team Gibbs came to the squad room. "Ok, Ziva. We're all here. What's so important that you and DiNozzo have to disrupt my morning?" Ziva looked at Abby and smiled. "I am pregnant." Abby rushed forward to give Tony a hug. She whispered in his ear. "I am so happy for you guys! Hope you're not mad that she asked me to do the test." He whispered back, "I'm not mad at all." Congratulations chorused from the other team members in the room. Gibbs came to stand in front of Tony's desk. He leaned down so that he was eye level with him. He smiled. "See, I told you she'd come around. Congratulations." "Thanks Boss." He went over to where Ziva stood and kissed her cheek. "I'm happy for you Ziver." "Thank you." He turned to address the rest of the team. "Ok people, enough of this mushy stuff. Back to work."

It was October, and Ziva was six months into her pregnancy. Things had been progressing nicely. She and the baby were healthy. Tony came home from running errands one afternoon to find her in the nursery. She was putting clothes in the drawer. Her back was to him. "Hey Sweet Cheeks. Got the things from the store that you wanted. Abby come by with some more new clothes?" He chuckled. "She's going to spoil the baby rotten." She turned to face him. Her eyes were red. She had been crying. He crossed the room and took her in his arms. "What's wrong Ziva?" "It's October." He smiled again. "Oh. I get it. This is one of those mood swings, right?" She shook her head. "It is the sixth month of the pregnancy." He stopped smiling as realization dawned. "You're thinking about Joseph." He kissed the top of her head. "We lost him at six months, Tony." "That's no gonna happen this time Ziva. You heard what the doctor said when we went for your check up this week. The baby is fine. The heart beat is strong. Movement is good. Every thing is on track." "Yes. I know, but something could still go wrong." "You're right, but we are going to think positive. Worrying is not good for either of you. So, stop doing it. Come on. I picked up some Rocky Road. Let's go have a snack and think happier thoughts." She nodded and let him lead her out of the room.

Tony's positive thinking worked. It was now the beginning of December, and Ziva was almost eight months pregnant. They were all sitting in the squad room catching up on some cold case paper work. Tony spoke. "Hey Elf Lord," he said addressing McGee. "You got any plans for the holiday?" "Actually, Tony, I don't. My mom and dad are taking a cruise this year, and Sarah is studying abroad on her break." He addressed Gibbs next. "What about you, Boss?" "Going to Stillwater to spend sometime with Jack." "Oh. Well, Ziva and I were wondering if you guys would like to come to our place for dinner. Ziva and I wanted to have one last big get together before she goes on maternity leave at the end of the month. Boss, if you want, you can invite your dad to come eat with us." They accepted the invitation. "Great! Hey, Sweet Cheeks, Why don't you call Abby and Ducky and see if they can come too." She made the call, adding three more names to the list for their holiday dinner.

Two weeks had passed, and it was Christmas Eve. Tony and Ziva were getting ready for their dinner wit the team. Abby had come over early that morning to help, because at eight months pregnant, Ziva tired easily. The rest of the team was due to arrive at six for dinner. It was now going on four o'clock, and everything was almost ready. Tony told Ziva that he and Abby could finish getting ready, and suggested that she go take a nap before dinner. When he was sure she was asleep, he placed a call to Gibbs. "Hey Boss. Just wanted to see if you needed any help loading up the crib and rocker." "Nope. It's done." "Great! Hey, do you mind coming by a little early so we can stash them in the garage? I don't want her to have to go outside in the cold to see them." "I don't mind coming early. You're not afraid she'll see them?" "No. She's sleeping now and probably will be until it's time to eat." "Ok. We'll be there in a little while." They disconnected.

Gibbs and Jackson arrived half and hour later. They had just come in from hiding the furniture in the garage when Ziva came out of the bedroom. "Tony, did I over sleep? Is it time for dinner?" "No, Sweet Cheeks. Gibbs and Jack just came a little early to see if we needed help." She went to each man and kissed them on the cheek. "Thank you. That was very thoughtful. It is good to see you again, Jackson." "You too, Ziva. Thank you for inviting me." McGee arrived a short time later. He came in shaking flakes from his coat. A light snow had begun to fall. "Looks like we're gonna have a white Christmas," he said. Tony greeted him at the door. "Hey McGee. Come on in. Can't have you turning into a Probie Pop. Everyone's in the living room." Ducky and Palmer arrived soon after. When they had all gathered in the living room, Ziva called for everyone's attention. "Tony and I want to thank you all for coming tonight. We have a lot to be thankful for this year, and we wanted to have our family around us to share in the blessings we have been given. So, again, we want to thank you for coming. Dinner is served." Tony helped her from the chair she had been sitting in, and they lead the team into the dining room.

Two hours later, dinner was finished, and the team had gathered around the tree to exchange gifts. They had all opened their packages and sat surrounded by ribbons and wrapping paper. McGee spoke from his seat on the floor. "Wow! This is quite a haul. Doesn't look like Santa will need to stop at our houses tonight." Everyone chuckled. When the laughter faded, Tony spoke. "Actually, there is one more gift. It's for Ziva." She looked at him, "You have already given me my gift, and it is more than enough." "It's not from me, Sweet Cheeks." "Then who?" "Santa," he said with a mischievous grin. "Come on. It's in the garage." He helped her from the chair, and the team followed. When they got to the garage, Ziva found two items covered in tarps waiting for her. Tony pulled out his knife and cut the ties. "Go on Ziva. Open them." She pulled the tarp that covered rocking chair first. "Oh! Tony!" She gasped. "It's beautiful!" She went to the second tarp and uncovered the crib. This time, she could not find the words to speak. She stood in stunned silence for a moment. "They are lovely Tony. Where ever did you find them?" "They're one of a kind Ziva." "You had them made then." "They are hand made, but I told you, they're not from me." "Then who?" Tony nodded his head in Gibbs' direction. She turned to look at him. "You did this?" He nodded. "When did you have the time?" "I made them for Joseph. Tony asked me to save them, just in case." She crossed to where he stood and gave him a hug. "Thank you." As he pulled away, he felt her tense up. "Ziva, what's wrong?" "My water just broke. The baby is coming."

She looked up at him. "It's too early. We still have four weeks." "It's gonna be ok Ziva. Relax." He began to give orders. "Tony. Take Ziva inside. Get her ready to go. McGee. Go start the car. Jack and I will get the bags. Where are they?" Tony turned from where he was helping Ziva up the stairs. "In the hall closet by the front door. As they headed inside the house, McGee came back in from the driveway. He was covered in snow. "Boss, I don't think we'll be going anywhere tonight. Snow's coming down pretty hard, and the drive way is a solid sheet of ice." Ok. Change of plans." He turned to Ducky. "You bring your bag, Duck? Looks like we're about to meet the newest member of the team."

Once they were back in the house, Gibbs turned things over to Ducky. "Ok Ducky. It's your show now. What do you need us to do?" The M.E. turned to his assistant. "Mr. Palmer, would you get my bag from the car?" "Yes, Doctor." Jimmy left to get the bag. "Abby, be a dear and see if Tony needs help with Ziva." "Sure thing Duckman" She headed off to the bedroom. By this time, Jimmy had returned with the bag. "Timothy, we'll need things once the baby arrives. Go into the nursery and get some blankets, diapers, some clothes, and the baby bath. We'll also need a bulb syringe, some wash cloths, and towels. That should do for now." McGee went to get the things the doctor asked for. He finally turned to Gibbs and Jack. "Jethro, I do hate to sound cliché, but I need you and Jack to boil some water." Jackson chuckled. "I thought they only did that in the movies to keep the nervous fathers busy and out of the way." "Yes. Well, in this case, it will serve a purpose. I need to sterilize my instruments, and we will need to bathe the baby."

While the other members of Team Gibbs got things ready outside, Tony and Abby got Ziva settled in the bedroom. Abby put extra sheets on the bed while Tony helped Ziva change into more comfortable clothes. As he was helping her into the bed, the contractions began. He braced himself and supported her full weight. "Relax and breathe through it Zee. I've got you." The contraction passed, and she relaxed. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Abby, would you braid my hair?" "Sure." Abby went to the other side of the bed and climb up behind Ziva. "Tony, There is a brush in the nightstand," she said. He got it and passed it to Abby, and she began to brush Ziva's hair. Abby had only been brushing for a couple of minutes when she felt Ziva tense. She stopped brushing and waited. After Ziva had taken a cleansing breath, she asked "You want me to stop?" She shook her head. "No." "Ok. I'll try to hurry before the next one comes." She was putting in the rubber band just as the next contraction came. After it was over, Ziva looked at Tony, "Have you been timing them?" "Uh huh. They're about four minutes apart." He looked up at Abby. "Maybe you should go get Ducky so he can check things out." "Ok." She climbed off the bed and went to find Ducky.

The other members of Team Gibbs were gathering that last few thing that would be needed when Abby came out of the bedroom. "Ducky, Tony thinks you should come check Ziva. She's had three contractions. They're about four minutes apart." Certainly, my dear. I'll be right there." Before leaving, he turned to Palmer. "Jimmy, please bring my instruments." He grabbed some gloves and headed into the bedroom, Palmer following close behind. When they opened the door, they found Ziva riding out another contraction. "Abby tells me that we might have someone who is anxious to meet their mommy and daddy." Tony nodded. "The first three were about four minutes apart, but there was only three minutes between this one and the last one." He was sitting on the bed beside Ziva now. Holding her hand. Palmer spoke. "Ziva, do you mind if I stay? I just want to be here if Dr. Mallard needs me. I'll stand in the corner out of the way." Taking a cleansing breath, Ziva nodded. "It is fine Jimmy. You can stay." Ducky looked at Ziva. "Shall we?" She slid to the middle of the bed with Tony's help, and he climbed up behind her pulling her back against him. Ducky performed the exam. When he was finished, he took off his gloves. "Well, my dear, you are six centimeters dilated. It shouldn't be long now. Mr. Palmer and I will step out and get the other things we'll need for the delivery." He stood up and motioned to Jimmy. "Come Mr. Palmer."

When they had gone, Tony changed positions so he was seated beside Ziva again. "We made it Sweet Cheeks. We're gonna have a baby tonight." He smiled. "A Christmas baby. How cool is that?! Just think, twice the loot on birthdays." He noticed that she was not smiling. "What's wrong?" "It is still too early. There are a lot of things that could still go wrong, Tony." He shook his head. "Un Uhn. No. I told you we're not gonna think like that. Everything is gonna be fine. Stop worrying. It's not good for either of you."

Ducky and Palmer were met by Gibbs when they came out of the bedroom. "How is she?" "She's fine Jethro. Progressing nicely. She's at six centimeters. That means that she's probably been in labor since early afternoon. We should have a baby by early Christmas morning." "Her due date is still four weeks away," McGee said. "Is that going to cause a problem?" Ducky shook his head. "There is a possibility that the baby could be small, but other than that I don't foresee any difficulties. Ziva is healthy and has taken good care of herself and the baby. They will be fine." Jimmy came back with the rest of the things they needed for the delivery. "Thank you Mr. Palmer. I shall return to my patient now."

Ducky and Palmer returned to find Tony helping Ziva through another contraction. Tony spoke as they entered the room. "They're coming closer together. She's had two since you've been gone. There were four minutes between the one she had while your were here and three minutes between the two she had while you were gone." Ducky smiled. "Marvelous! It won't be long now." He looked at Ziva. "You should rest while you can my dear. Mr. Palmer and I will leave you alone." He turned to Tony. "Come get me if she needs me." "I will." "Come , Mr. Palmer." They left the room to go join the rest of the team.

Four hours passed, and it was now after midnight. Tony and Ziva had dozed off after the latest round of contractions and Ducky's last exam. Ziva awoke with a start and grabbed Tony's hand. "Tony! I need to push!" Tony sat up instantly awake. "Hang on Ziva. I'll get Ducky." He rushed into the living room. "Ducky! Ziva says she needs to push." Without a word, Ducky and Palmer followed him into the bedroom.

"Alright Anthony. We must move quickly. Help Ziva move to the middle of the bed. Then, climb behind her and lean against the head board. Ziva dear, pull your knees up to your chest and let them fall to the side." They did as he said, and he took his position at the foot of the bed. He spoke to Palmer now. "Mr. Palmer, make sure the blankets, clamps and scissors are ready." He turned back to Ziva. "All right, my dear. Let's see where the baby is." He performed a quick exam. "The head has already come down into the birth canal. On the next contraction, I want you to push." Ziva nodded. They didn't have to wait long. She put her chin to her chest and pushed. "That's it! Good job! Once again." She pushed again. The baby moved a little more and the contraction ended. "You're doing wonderfully Ziva. The next contraction should bring the head. Rest now." She took a cleansing breath. "Your doing great Zee," Tony encouraged. She didn't get much of a break. She had not pushed for long when Ducky said, "Stop pushing. The head is out. Pant slowly." She did. He turned to Palmer. "Hand me the bulb syringe, Mr. Palmer. And place a blanket on Ziva's abdomen." He suctioned the baby's mouth and nose, and Palmer placed the blanket where he was told. "Ok. Now we must bring the shoulders. Give me one big push." She complied and the baby slid out. She collapsed against Tony.

Ducky smiled up at her. "It's a girl." Tony kissed the top of her head. "You did it, Sweet Cheeks." Ducky placed the baby on the blanket and began to massage her back. Tony looked on worried. "She's not crying. Is she ok?" "She's fine, Anthony. Sometimes it takes a moment." Just then, the baby let out her first cry. Tony heaved a sigh, and Ziva began to cry softly along with the baby. Ducky turned back to his assistant. "Clamps please, Mr. Palmer. We need to tie off the cord." Jimmy handed him the clamps, and he clamped the cord. "Tony, would you like to do the honors?" "You bet I would." He smiled and took the scissors making the cut. When that was done, Ducky passed the baby to Palmer. "Do the APGAR test and check her vitals." He turned back to Ziva to help her with the final stage of labor while Jimmy tended to the baby.

Outside, the other members of Team Gibbs waited anxiously. Abby was playing a game on her cell phone. McGee found pen and paper and was making notes for a story idea. Jack and Gibbs had a deck of cards and were playing Rummy. Gibbs looked up from his cards and smiled. "What is it, Son?" Jack asked. "You got the winning hand?" He shook his head. "Nope. Baby's here." Jack gave him a quizzical look just as the baby began to cry in the other room. Abby jumped up from her chair and ran to the door. "Yay! The baby's here!" "Abby. Come sit back down." Gibbs reprimanded. "Ducky will come get us when we can go in." She did as she was told and went back to her chair.

Back in the bedroom, Palmer had finished the test. "Her one minute APGAR is eight doctor. Her vitals are strong." The doctor got off the bed and went to confirm his assistant's findings." When he was satisfied, he wrapped the baby in a fresh blanket and presented the baby to Tony. "May I present Baby Girl DiNozzo." Tony smiled. "Thank you Ducky." He took the baby and turned to Ziva. "She's beautiful Sweet Cheeks. You did good." He handed her the baby. Then he kissed her. Ducky spoke from the corner of the room. "Mr. Palmer and I are going to step out Anthony. We'll give you a moment alone." "Thank you Ducky." Ziva spoke now. "Could you tell the others?" "Certainly my dear. Come Mr. Palmer. Let's leave them alone."

The team looked up as the door to the bedroom opened. Abby sprang from her chair. "So?! How's the baby? How's Ziva? Is it a boy? A girl?" Ducky looked at her and smiled. "All in good time my dear. All in good time. You will have the answers soon enough. Let's give the new family some time alone first." Gibbs approached Ducky. "Everything ok, Duck?" "Yes Jethro. Everything is fine. The baby is small but healthy. The labor was not hard on Ziva. I expect her to be a little tired, but aside from that, there should be no ill effects. A few minutes later, Tony came out of the bedroom. "Hi guys." They turned when he spoke. "Ziva's asking for you. You wanna go meet the baby? He motioned for them to follow him.

When they entered the room, Ziva smiled at them. "Hello everyone." They gathered around the foot of the bed, and Tony went to her side. "Everybody, Ziva and I would like you to meet our daughter." He took the baby from Ziva and handed her to Abby. "You wanna hold her Abby?" She nodded, her eyes dancing with excitement. "She's so cute!" She passed the baby to McGee. He looked from the baby to Ziva. "She's beautiful Ziva. She looks like you." "Thank you McGee." Jack was next in line. He started to step back so Gibbs could take the baby. Tony looked at him. "It's ok, Jack. You can hold her if you want." He shook his head. "That's alright, Son. This time is for family." "You are family. By association," Ziva said. He took the baby. After a minute, he handed her to Gibbs. When she was settled in his arms he spoke. "You guys decided on a name yet? Don't think she can go by Baby Girl DiNozzo forever." Tony nodded. "Yeah Boss. We've got a name." "Well?" Ziva spoke now. "We'd like you to meet Jenna Grace DiNozzo." Gibbs locked eyes with Ziva. He held the gaze while Tony spoke. "We wanted to give honor to the person who brought us together. And we wanted another Jen in our lives." He handed the baby back to Ziva. "She _is _beautiful Ziva." He turned to the others. "Come on. It's been a long day. Let's go get ready for bed." They all turned to go. Ducky called to Abby. "Abby would you stay and help us? We need to get Ziva and the baby ready for bed." "Sure Ducky. I'll be glad to." A short time later, everything was done, and everyone was resting comfortably.

Everyone was sleeping peacefully after the long but joyful night at the DiNozzo house. Everyone, that is, except Gibbs. He was in Papa Bear mode. Prowling the house. Checking on his cubs. He came to the door of Ziva and Tony's room and stopped. Inside, the newest cub was fretting. Sneaking in with the stealth of the sniper he once was, he went to the bassinet. He picked the baby up and took her out of the room. Once outside, he spoke softly to her. "Hey sweet girl. What's all the fuss about? You hungry? Need to be changed? Let's see what we can do to dry those tears." He took her into the living room and changed her. Then, he took her into the kitchen and fixed a bottle and settled in to feed her.

Tony woke up and listened. The room was unusually quiet. Ziva was not snoring and no sound came from the bassinet at the foot of the bed. He sat up and looked into the bassinet. Jenna wasn't there. He looked at the space around him in the bed. Maybe Ziva had gotten up and put her in their bed. Nope. Not there either. He got up and went into the living room. That's where he found her. She was curled in a ball on Gibbs' chest. He mentally gave himself a head slap. He went to Gibbs and nudged his shoulder. "Boss," he whispered. "Yeah, DiNozzo," Gibbs whispered back. "I'll take Jenna. You can go back to sleep. Sorry she woke you." Gibbs had opened his eyes and shifted the baby so he could sit up. "She didn't wake me DiNozzo. I was already awake and heard her fussing." "You could have gotten me up, Boss." "Figured you could use the sleep. Trust me. There will be plenty more nights like this." Tony caught the ghost of a smile and suspected that he was recalling a long lost memory of his own baby girl. "Thanks Boss. I appreciate it, but I can take it from here. You can go back to sleep. We'll be fine. She'll probably want to eat in a bit anyway." "Already fed her. She took an ounce and a half. Quit stallin' DiNozzo. Go back to bed. I got it." Tony nodded. "Ok, but wake me for the next feeding." Tony kissed the baby and headed for the bedroom. "Thanks Boss," he whispered over his shoulder.

Tony awoke at sun rise. Ziva was still sleeping peacefully beside him, and Jenna was in the bassinet. The smell of breakfast came from the kitchen. He got up, looked in on the baby and went into the kitchen. When he got there, he found the other members of Team Gibbs setting up for breakfast. "Morning guys. Need any help?" Abby turned and handed him a coffee cup. "Nope. We've got it. Have a seat." He sat down across from Gibbs. "I told you to wake me, Boss." Gibbs fixed him with a stare. Tony smiled. "Thanks Boss." By this time everyone was seated at the table. They began to eat. A few minutes later, Ziva and the baby came into the kitchen. Tony stood up. "Morning Sweet Cheeks. How are you feeling?" "I am fine," she replied. "Our little girl is ready for breakfast." She began to fix a bottle with her free hand. "Tony took the baby from her. "Go sit down and eat. I can do this." Ziva turned to him. "You have been up with her all night. You need a break." Tony decided to have a little fun at Ziva's expense. He slapped himself on the back of the head. "We were supposed to feed her? Oh man! I knew I forgot something!" Ziva looked at Tony in shocked annoyance. "You did not get up to check on her all night?" Tony laughed. "Yes, Zee- Vah. I did get up to check on her, but when I went in, she was already being taken care of." "Oh. Well, thank you Abby." Abby turned from the stove where she had been fixing Ziva's plate. "It wasn't me." "Then who?" She looked at Ducky, Jack and McGee. They all shook their heads. She turned to Gibbs. He gave her a tender look. She slapped Tony on the back of the head. He winced. "What was that for?" "For making fun of me and making Gibbs get up with the baby." Abby handed her the plate and took the baby from Tony. "You guys go sit down and finish breakfast. It's my turn for some quality time with the newest member of Team Gibbs. She took the baby in the living room to feed her.

By early afternoon, the weather had let up enough so that the team could go home. Before they left, the guys helped Tony bring the furniture into the nursery. Abby and Ziva put the bedding in the crib, and by the time everyone was saying good bye, Jenna was resting comfortably in her new bed. They were all standing at the door saying good bye. "Tony and I want to thank you all for everything you have done for us and Jenna. It means more than you will ever know." Abby spoke. "Hey Ziva. It was no biggie. We're family. It's what we do." She hugged Ziva then Tony. She and McGee said final goodbyes and headed to their cars. Jimmy followed a few minutes later. Ducky was the next to leave. As he turned to go, Ziva stopped him. In a rare sign of affection, she pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for watching over my baby. I feel as if I owe you her life." "Nonsense, my dear. There is no debt owed. I was merely the instrument. I was honored to be here. As Abby said, we are a family of sorts. Think nothing of it." He kissed her cheek and left. Gibbs and Jackson were the only ones that remained. Jack turned to Tony. "I want to thank you again for inviting me." "It was our pleasure. You are welcome anytime. We were happy to have you." "You all are more than welcome to come to Stillwater next year. Bring that sweet baby with you. It'll be fun to have a little one running around the house." "Thanks Jack. We'll think about it." Jack turned to Gibbs. "I'll be in the car, Son." Gibbs nodded. When he was gone, the three remaining team members stood in silence for a moment. Finally, Ziva spoke. "I know you do not like when we call attention to the things that you do for us, but I do not care. I want to thank you for every thing that you have done for us over these last months. We are in your debt." He pulled her into a hug. "No, Ziva. We're even. You have given me more than you will ever know by letting me be here for this." He turned to Tony. The look they exchanged spoke volumes. "Thanks Boss." Gibbs turned and left without a word.

Later that night, Tony woke up to find Ziva's side of the bed empty. He got up to look for her. He found her in the nursery. The sight he beheld stilled his heart. She was nursing the baby and singing softly in Hebrew. He stood there for a moment taking it in. He went it and knelt in front of the rocker. "Thought you said you didn't want to nurse." She stopped singing and looked up at him. "She was hungry, so I thought I would try." "How's it going?" "She seems to be taking to it. It is a little uncomfortable, but I am getting used to it." He smiled and stroked the baby's cheek. "I think it's beautiful. _You _are beautiful. _She _is beautiful, and I love you both." "We love you too, Tony." She looked down at the dozing baby. "It feels as if we have come full circle. I feel very blessed." "Me too Sweet Cheeks. Me too."


	2. Chapter 2

**Three Years in the Future**

Tony and Ziva stood in the door way of Jenna's room watching her sleep. It had been an exhausting, yet fun day for the DiNozzo family. They had spent the entire day at the park. "She had fun today," Ziva said. "Yeah, I think so. She was the cutest of all the kids in the May Day Parade," Tony said with a smile. They stood in comfortable silence for a while. Then, Ziva spoke up. "Tony, I want to give you a son." He turned to her, a look of mild surprise on his face. "Ziva, you wanna have another baby?" She nodded. "Yes. I believe that it would be good for Jenna to have sibling." "Ziva, you gave me a son." "Yes, I know. I do not wish to replace him, but I want you to have someone to carry on the DiNozzo name." He faced her full on now, taking hold of her arms and looking into her eyes. "Ziva, I would love for us to have another baby, but it doesn't matter to me one way or the other if we have a boy to carry on the DiNozzo name. All I want is a healthy baby." He smiled as a thought occurred to him. "**You **should be asking **me **to give you a son as I am the one who determines that." She looked at him, slightly confused. Then it dawned on her what he was saying. She groaned as her hand met with the back of his head. "What?! It's basic biology Zee-Vah. The father determines the gender." "Well, then let me just say, that you had better be very **determined **Mr. Dinozzo, because I want to give you a son."

Tow months had passed since Tony and Ziva had begun trying for another baby. It was early July, and Ziva's cycle was late. Unbeknownst to Tony or the rest of the team, she had made an appointment to see the doctor. This was where she found herself now. Waiting for the results of the pregnancy test. The doctor came in with a smile on her face. "Well Ziva, it looks like Jenna is going to be a big sister." Ziva smiled back. "That is wonderful news. Thank you doctor. Would it be possible to have an ultrasound today? I would like to be able to take a picture back to Tony." "Sure. No problem. I'll be right back." The doctor left to get the machine. A short time later Ziva left with the photos and headed home to get ready to share the news with Tony and Jenna.

Later that afternoon, Ziva was at home waiting for Tony and Jenna to return from day care. After what seemed like forever, Jenna came bounding into the kitchen. "Hi Mommy! We're home!" "Hello Sweet Cheeks," Ziva said, picking her up for a hug. "How was your day?" "Fine." "Were you a good girl today?" "Yes." "Good." As she set the child on the floor, Tony came into the room. "Hey Sweet Cheeks. How was you afternoon? Gibbs said you left early, but he didn't tell me why. Is everything ok?" Ziva nodded. "Everything is fine. Gibbs could not tell you why I left, because I did not tell him why I was leaving, only that I was. "Oh. Well, if there was something for me to know, you'd tell me right?" "Yes, Tony. I would tell you. Now, go change while I check on Jenna." Ziva had been wondering all afternoon how she was going to tell Tony about the baby. As she walked down the hall to her daughter's room, it hit her.

As she came to the door way, Ziva could see Jenna changing from her school clothes to play clothes. Jenna turned toward the door when she heard her mother come in. "Hi Mommy." "Hi Baby," Ziva said with a smile. "Come sit with me for a moment." "Ok." "I have a question." "Yes m'am?" "Would you like to have a little brother or sister?" The little girl's face broke into a smile. "Yes!" Ziva smiled back. "That's good, because I found out today that you are getting one. "Yay!" "There is something I need you help me with. Since you are going to be the big sister, I need you to help me tell Daddy." Ziva pulled the ultrasound photo from her pocket. "Is that the baby?," she asked. "Yes." "Where is it?" Ziva took the child's hand and placed it on her abdomen. "Here." "How did it get there?" Ziva smiled. "We'll discuss that after we tell Daddy." "Ok." "Here's what I want you to do: hand the baby's picture to Daddy and tell him that Mommy asked you to give it to him. The child smiled and nodded. She ran toward the living room to find her father. Ziva was following close behind.

Jenna bounced into the living room, where she found Tony watching television. "Hi Daddy." "Hi Sweetie. Changed into your comfy cozy clothes huh?" "Yes," the child replied climbing into her fathers lap. He kissed the top of her head when she was settled. " I have something for you Daddy." "Really?" "Yes. It's from Mommy." In the matter of a split second, a million thoughts ran through Tony's head. "What is it, Baby?" "Here," the child said as she shoved the folded photograph at him. Tony took it from her and unfolded it. He looked at it. The first thing he noticed was the name of Ziva's doctor in the left hand corner. As his eyes traveled to the imaged that was slightly to the right of center in the photo, a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. Ziva, who had been standing in the hall, came into the room. She came to stand in front of the couch. Tony's smile got wider as he spoke. "Really?!" "Yes, really." Jenna turned to face her father. "I'm gonna be a big sister Daddy," She said smiling. " I know, and you'll be the greatest," he said. He placed his daughter on the floor and stood, taking Ziva in his arms. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "It is too early to tell just how **determined** you were, but we will know come December. He chuckled at the thought of the conversation she was referring to. "Guess that means you wanna find what we're having this time, huh?" She nodded. "I do not wish to be surprised." "What if I said I wanted to be surprised?, he countered, pretending to be a little hurt by what she'd said. "Then I would say, what is it? Oh. Yes. Too bad too sad. We are finding out. Jenna tugged on Tony's pant leg. " I wanna find out something too Daddy, and Mommy said I would after we told you. He turned to look down at his daughter. "What do you want to know baby girl?" "Mommy said you would tell me how the baby got here once we told you about it." Tony looked at Ziva in total surprise while speaking to his daughter. "She did huh?" "Uh huh." "Well, then I guess we have to give you an answer then, huh?" So that's what they did.

Tony and Ziva decided that they would tell the team the following day. Jenna asked if she could be the one to tell Gibbs. They agreed to let her. Since telling Gibbs was her job, sharing the news would have to wait until Jenna got home from day care. The time came to go get Jenna, and Tony went to Gibbs's desk. "Hey Boss." Gibbs looked up from the file he was reading. "Yeah?" "I have to go get Jenna from day care now. Could you and the rest of the team be waiting here for us when I get back?" "Why?" "Jenna has something she wants to tell you, Boss." "Ok. Sure." "Thanks," He said as he headed to the elevator. A short while later, Tony came back with Jenna. They found the team waiting for them in the squad room. The little girl made a b-line for Gibbs and crawled up in his lap. "Hey Papa Bear. Miss me?," she asked throwing her arms around his neck. "You bet I did. Were you a good girl today?" "Yes." "Good. Glad to hear it." Abby walked over and sat on the edge of the desk. "So munchkin, Daddy says you have something to tell us." "Yup." Ducky spoke from across the room. "What have you to share with us, darling girl?" Jenna looked at Ziva who nodded. She turned in Gibbs's lap so she was looking into his face. "There's gonna be another cub Papa Bear." Gibbs smiled. Even though he knew what she meant, he played along. He feigned surprise. " What? You don't want to be my cub anymore? You sending somebody else to take your place?" The child shook her head vigorously. "No way! I'm still gonna be your cub, but now you'll have two." By now, the others had caught on and were smiling. "Oh I see!," he said looking at Ziva. She nodded. "Well, I think that is wonderful. I'd love to have another cub to play with." By this time, Ziva had produced the ultrasound and was showing it to Palmer, Ducky, and McGee. She walked to Gibbs's desk. "Would you like to show the baby to Papa Bear, Jenna?" The little girl nodded taking the picture from her mother and handing it to Gibbs. He looked from the photo to Ziva and Tony who had by this time, come to stand behind her. "Congratulations you two." "Thanks Gibbs," they answered together. He handed the photo to Abby, who was still sitting on the corner of his desk. "Such a cute little peanut!" She sprang off the desk and pulled Tony into a hug. "This is awesome you guys." "Thanks Abs," Tony said. She went to Ziva and gave her a gentler version of the hug she had just given Tony. "I'm so happy for you." "Thank you Abby," Ziva said as she returned the hug. Gibbs cleared his throat, and they all turned to look. "I hate to break up the family love fest, but we still have a work day to finish. Lets get to it. Abby, take Jenna to the break room to get a snack and keep her with you in the lab until it's time to go home. The rest of you get back to whatever it is you were doing." A chorus of "Yes Boss." rang out, and they all returned to work.

The next five months of Ziva's pregnancy passed uneventfully. Both she and the baby were healthy. It was December, and they were preparing to go to Stillwater to celebrate Jenna's birthday and the holiday. They had taken Jack up on the offer he made when Jenna was born. This year, Ziva had something special to share. The week before, at her last doctor's appointment, she had been able to find out the baby's gender. She had gotten Abby and McGee to help her turn the DVD of the ultrasound into a special gift for Tony.

Christmas dinner was finished, and they were all gathered around the tree watching Jenna open her gifts and opening some of their own. When they were finished, Tony looked over at Jenna's pile. "Wow, Jenna! Looks like you've been a good girl this year." The little girl smiled and nodded. Ziva looked at her daughter and asked, "What do you tell everyone?" The little girl looked around the room. "Thank you." A chorus of "You're welcome." went up around the room. Gibbs got up from his seat and went to the Christmas tree. As he pulled a package from behind it, he spoke. "I think there's one more gift, and it looks like it's for Jenna." "Really?!," the little girl asked in surprise. Gibbs nodded and handed her the package. "Let Daddy help you open it." She went to Tony and handed him the present. As she did Tony caught Gibbs's eye. "Boss--" Gibbs cut him off with a stare. "Santa and I had a little chat." Tony smiled and began opening the package. He pulled several sheets of paper from inside. "What is it, Tony?" Ziva asked. "Not sure yet." "Open it Daddy! Open it!" Jenna squealed with excitement. He stood and unrolled the sheets on the coffee table. He looked at Gibbs. "Boss--" Gibbs smiled. Abby, who was now as antsy as Jenna, spoke now. "Ok. Enough with the drama. What is it?" Tony looked at Ziva as he spoke. "Plans for a tree house." Ziva was looking at Gibbs now. There was a small smile on his face. "Thought it would be nice if she had one. I'll build it after the baby comes." Jenna broke the silence that had fallen over the room. "Cool! A tree house! Can I help build it?" Gibbs picked the little girl up. "Sure you can sweetie. Couldn't do it without you." Ziva went to Gibbs and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." By this time the others had gathered around. Ziva chose this time to sneak away to get the DVD. She came back in the room saying, "I believe there is one final gift." "Is this one for me too?" Jenna asked. "No. This one is for Daddy." She said, handing the DVD to Tony. He opened it. "A DVD." Ziva nodded. "The baby wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas." Tony looked around the room. He noticed Abby and McGee were smiling. Jackson spoke up. "The DVD player's ready to go if you want to watch it now, Son." McGee spoke next. The smile still on his face. "Put it in Tony." He complied. They all settled in to watch as the ultrasound images filled the screen. When the DVD was finished, everyone in the room was smiling. Tony went to Ziva and took her in his arms. "It's a boy?" "Yes. It seems you were very **determined** ." She smiled.** "**We are having a son." "How long have you known?" "Since last week." He looked at Abby and McGee. "You guys knew too?" They nodded. "We helped with the DVD," Abby said. "Thanks guys." They nodded. He turned to Ziva. "Everything's ok, then?" "We are fine." "Good. Thank you." "For?" "Giving me a son and keeping him healthy. I love you." She smiled. I love you too, Tony. Merry Christmas."

Spring came, and everyone on Team Gibbs was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest member. One night in April, the wait came to an end. "Tony, wake up." He rolled over and cracked open an eye lid. "What is it? Are we out of Rocky Road again?" "No. The baby's coming. We need to go to the hospital." He sat up. "Has your water broken?" Ziva shook her head. "No, but I have had contractions almost every five minutes for the last hour." "Ok. Let's go." They moved at the same time, putting on clothes to leave.

When they arrived at the hospital and Ziva was settled in her room, Tony called Gibbs. "Hey Boss." Tony said when he answered the phone. "Hope I didn't wake you." "No. You didn't. Everything ok?" "Yeah. We're fine. Just calling to let you know that we're at the hospital. Ziva's in labor." "Ok. You need me to come get Jenna?" "No. She spent the night at Abby's." "Oh. You want me to come down there and sit with you and Ziva for a while?" "No. It's still gonna be a while. We'll be fine. You can tell the others for me though." "Ok. Will do. Call if you need anything." I will. Thanks Boss." He disconnected and went back into Ziva's room. "How you holding up Sweet Cheeks?" Taking a cleansing breath, she said, "I am fine. Did you call Abby and tell her where we are?" He shook his head. "Un Uhn. I called Gibbs. He's gonna call her." Ziva nodded as another contraction started. Tony helped her through it. When it passed, he said, "There coming closer together, you want me to go get the doctor?" She nodded, and he left.

The doctor completed the exam. "It won't be much longer now, Ziva. Maybe another couple of hours. You should try to get some rest before the real work begins. I'll be back to check on you in a little while, but you can have one of the nurses page me if you need me before then." Thank you doctor." Tony came to sit on the edge of the bed after the doctor had gone. He took her hand. "You ready to do this one more time?" She smiled at him and nodded.

A couple of hours had passed since the doctor's last exam. Tony and Ziva had taken his advice and were trying to get some rest. They had not been resting long when Ziva said, "Tony, I need to push!" "Ok. Hang in there Ziva I'll get the doctor. He left, and a short time later, returned with the doctor and a nurse.

"Tony tells me you need to push." Ziva nodded, panting. "We'll then, lets see where things stand. Slide to the end of the bed." He looked at Tony as he was putting on his gloves. "Climb behind her and let her lean against you." Tony did as he said. When they were settled, he performed the exam. He smiled up at them. "The baby's crowing. When ever you're ready, you can push. She did. "Good job Ziva. One more will bring the baby's head. She pushed again. "That's it! The head is out. Pant slowly." Tony kissed the top of her head. "You're doing great Zee." When the doctor had cleared the baby's air way, he said " Ok Ziva. One more push, and the baby will be here." With the next contraction, Ziva pushed, and the baby came.

The doctor placed the baby on Ziva's abdomen. Tony looked over Ziva's head towards the end of the bed. "He's here Ziva. You did it." "Is he ok?" The doctor, who was massaging the baby's back spoke up. "He's fine Ziva." Just then, the baby began to cry. "Tony, do you want to cut the cord?" the doctor asked. Tony nodded in the affirmative. The doctor clamped the cord and handed Tony the scissors. After the cord was cut, the doctor took the baby and passed him off to the nurse. "Let's get him cleaned up. Then you guys can hold him." He turned to help Ziva with the final stage of labor. Tony turned to go back to Ziva's side. She shook her head. "I am fine Tony. Go with the baby." "Ziva--" "Go Tony." He relented and went to the baby's side. A few minutes later, the labor was done, and Tony brought the baby to Ziva. "Somebody wants to say "hi"." He placed the baby in her arms and kissed her. "He is beautiful." Tony nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We do good work." "Yes we do, and something like this is too good not to share. Go call the others." He smiled. "You got it Sweet Cheeks." He kissed her and left the room. Once outside, he dialed Gibbs.

A short time after Tony's phone call to Gibbs, the team arrived. Jenna reached the room ahead of the others. "Mommy! Daddy! Papa Bear says the baby's here. Am I a big sister?" Tony caught the child and took her into his arms. "Yes you are, but you need to be quiet now, sweetie. Your brother is sleeping." The child lowered her voice. "Sorry Daddy." Tony smiled at his daughter. "That's ok. Let's go see Mommy." By this time, the others had reached the room. They all went in together to see Ziva and the baby.

When they entered the room, Tony took Jenna over to the bed and sat her down beside Ziva. Ziva smiled at her daughter. "Hi baby. I've missed you. Have you been a good girl for Abby?" The little girl nodded. Ziva looked at Abby to confirm. "She was super good Ziva." Thank you for letting her stay with you." Ziva turned back to her daughter. "Would you like to meet your brother. The little girl nodded. Ziva shifted so the baby's face could be seen. "Can I hold him?" "Yes." Tony helped Ziva place the baby in the little girls arms. After a moment she looked at Abby. "Hey Abby. You wanna hold him now?" "You bet I do munchkin." She came and took the baby. After a while, she passed the baby to McGee. "He's beautiful you guys." "Thanks Probie," Tony said. Ducky was next in line. As he passed the baby to Gibbs, Ducky asked, "How are we to address this fine young man, Ziva?" "Tony and I would like you to meet Jackson Anthony DiNozzo." Gibbs smiled. "Jack will be honored. Thank you."

Two months had passed since Jack's birth. It was a warm Saturday in June, and the team had the weekend off. Gibbs was in Tony and Ziva's back yard working on Jenna's tree house. As promised, he was letting the little girl help. The little girl didn't want her father to be left out, so he was helping too. Ziva had been watching them work from the kitchen window for a while and decided it was time for a break. She fixed a snack and took it out to them.

Tony saw Ziva coming across the yard. The baby was in his sling, and she was carrying a tray. He climbed out of the tree and went to help her. "Hey Sweet Cheeks. Whatcha doin'?" "I thought you could use a break." He smiled at her as he took the tray. "Thanks." He turned to call to the others. She placed a hand on his arm. "Tony." He turned to look at her. "What is it Sweet Cheeks?" "They're all here." "Who?" "Our children." He stroked the baby's head and smiled in Jenna's direction. "Yeah. We are fortunate to have two beautiful children." "Yes, we are, and they are fortunate to have a big brother who is going to watch over them." He turned to her, a questioning look in his eyes. Then it dawned on him what she was saying. The words he said the day of Joseph's funeral coming back to him. He smiled. "You're right Sweet Cheeks. We are all truly blessed."


	3. Chapter 3

Jenna woke up from a particularly unpleasant dream and went in search of Gibbs. She found him asleep in the living room. She went to the sofa and climbed into his lap. "Papa Bear," she called softly rubbing her hand against his cheek. Not being a particularly heavy sleeper, he was awakened instantly by the little girl's touch. "What is it Jenna?" "I had a bad dream, and now I can't sleep," the little girl replied. He sat up and pulled the girl into a hug. "You wanna talk about it?" The little girl nodded silently. "It was about Jack." Gibbs gave the child an understanding smile. "He'll be fine sweetheart. You heard what your dad said when he called from the hospital earlier. Jack's wrist is just sprained. It's not broken. They'll be home in the morning."

Gibbs had gotten a call from Ziva after dinner that night saying that Jack had fallen out of the tree house, and they needed to take him to the Emergency Room. He had come over to sit with Jenna. Tony had phoned before Jenna had gone to bed to say that the doctor had sedated Jack to treat his wrist, and she wanted to keep him overnight so he could sleep off the sedative. "I know, but it's my fault that he's hurt." Gibbs gave the girl a questioning look. "Why is it your fault? Did you push him out of the tree house?" Jenna shook her head in the negative. "No. He fell off the climbing rope." Gibbs nodded. "I see." He remembered Tony telling him awhile back that Jenna had asked if they could add a fire pole to slide down out of the tree. Ziva had vetoed the idea of the pole, but she had agreed to a repelling rope. The rule was that someone had to be at the bottom to catch Jack if he used it. "How did that happen?" he asked. "I wasn't at the bottom to catch him, and he slipped before he got all the way down," she replied. "Why weren't you at the bottom," asked giving her a stern look to let her know he was unhappy that she might have deliberately broken the rule.

Seeing the look on his face, she knew he was unhappy with her and quickly began to explain. "I told him to wait a minute while I finished cleaning up my coloring stuff, and I would help him down. He said he was a big boy now and didn't need me to help him. I knew that I would be in trouble if I let him do it by himself. I left my coloring stuff and started to go down the ladder 'cause he was already on the rope. I thought I could beat him to the bottom. He let go sooner than he was supposed to and hit the ground before I got there." Gibbs nodded in understanding. "It wasn't your fault. Jack broke the rule." "I shoulda went with him as soon as he was ready to go. Then, he wouldn't of gotten hurt." Gibbs shook his head. "No. Your brother should have been a little more patient and waited for you." "I think Mama and Daddy are still gonna be mad, 'cause I was supposed to catch him, and I didn't." "They won't if you tell them what you just told me." "You really think so?" The man smiled at the child and pulled her into a hug. "I know so." The girl smiled as if a huge burden had been lifted from her tiny shoulders. "Can we call them so I can tell them now?" Gibbs shook his head. "It's late. You can tell them in the morning. They're sleeping, and you should be too." "I can't sleep, Papa Bear." "Would it help if I told you a story?" The girl smiled. "Uh huh." She settled herself into the crook of his arm. He pulled the quilt off of the back of the sofa and bundled her in it. "You have a special one you want to hear?" Yes," she answered. "Tell me about the night I was born." He chuckled at this. He'd been expecting it. Tony and Ziva had told him many times that it was her favorite tale. "You're not tired of hearing that one?" "No." "Ok then." "Well, as you know, your birthday falls on a holiday." "Yeah. Christmas." "That's right. We had all come here for dinner on Christmas Eve, because it was almost time for you to come, and your mom and dad wanted us all to spend some time together before you arrived." Jenna picked up the next bit of the story. "So everybody came to eat and open presents." "That's right. We ate dinner and then came into the living room to open our gifts." He looked down at her and said with a smile in his voice, "I seem to recall that you got the most gifts, and you weren't even there to open them." "When Mama tells the story, she says that the two most special things I got were from you." "She does, does she?" "Uh huh. She said you made the crib and rocking chair all by yourself." "That's right. I did." He was surprised by Jenna's next words, because he had no idea that she knew about her older brother. "They weren't supposed to be mine first." "Really?" "Yeah. You made them for Joseph, but he went to Heaven so, he didn't get to use them." He kissed the top of her head, and she snuggled closer to him. The story was having the desired effect. The child was getting sleepy. "Yeah he did." Gibbs brought the story back on track. "Speaking of the crib and rocker, they were in the garage, so we had to go out there so your mom could see them. While we were there, your mom said that it was time to go to the hospital. We all started getting ready to go." She cut him off. "You couldn't leave though, 'cause it was snowing." "That's right. Probie came in and told us it was snowing." "So, I was born here." "That's right."

The little girl pulled away and stretched out on the sofa. "When Daddy tells the story, he says that you stayed up and watched over me the whole first night." He pulled the quilt around her with one hand and stroked her cheek with the other. "I did." "Daddy told me that I was in good hands, 'cause you know how to take care of babies. He says that you had your own little girl to take care of for a little while, but she went to Heaven too." The words she said tugged at Gibbs's heart. "Yep." The little girl's eyes drifted shut. "You think she's with Joseph?" "Yeah. I do." The little girl asked one more question before sleep claimed her. "Do you think I was born so that you could have another little girl to love since you didn't get to finish loving yours, Papa Bear?" Jenna had fallen asleep, so she didn't hear his response. "Yes sweetheart, I do." Once he was certain she was asleep, he settled back against the cushions and began to doze.

Shortly before dawn, Gibbs was awakened by another soft whisper. "Boss, we're home. He sat up reaching for Jenna. He bolted upright when he realized she wasn't there. "I've got her," Tony said. "I'm gonna go put her to bed." He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "How's Jack?" "He's still a little sleepy, but otherwise ok. Ziva's putting him down." As if on cue, Ziva walked into the room. She turned to Gibbs. "I am making pancakes. Stay for breakfast." He started to rise from the sofa as Tony left to put Jenna in her bed. Ziva held out a hand to stop him from getting up. "Stay. I will call you when it is ready." He fixed her with one of his famous glares. She shook her head. "That is not going to work. I will not take no for an answer." He gave in and sat back. She turned and went into the kitchen.

A short time later, Ziva returned with a cup of coffee. When she entered the room, she found that Gibbs had dozed off again. As she approached with the cup, he began to stir. "The food is ready," she said, handing him the cup. He accepted it and took a sip. "Thanks." She turned, and he followed her into the dining room. Tony was setting the table. He spoke as Tony looked up from his task. "You want me to wake the kids?" "Nah. That's ok, Boss. Let 'em sleep." Tony finished setting the table and pulled out Ziva's chair. She sat, and the men followed suit. Once they were all seated, Ziva began plating the food. She passed the first plate to Gibbs as Tony spoke. "We really appreciate you coming to sit with Jenna last night, Boss. Hope she wasn't any trouble." Gibbs shook his head. "No problem at all." Ziva smiled as she passed Tony his plate. "I hope you did not have to tell the story too many times." "Only once. She had a bad dream, and it helped her fall asleep." "She tell you what the dream was about?"Tony asked. "Jack," came the response. "She thought that his fall was her fault." Ziva spoke now. "Was it? We had to leave in such a hurry, that we did not ask how he fell." "No. He wanted to climb out of the tree house on his own and wouldn't wait for her when she told him to." Tony and Ziva nodded in understanding. "She thinks you're gonna be disappointed in her when she tries to explain what happened." "But- "Tony started. Gibbs held up a hand to cut him off. "I told her that it wasn't her fault, and Jack broke the rule on his own. I also told her that if she told you that, you wouldn't be upset." Tony and Ziva nodded in agreement. They lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Tony looked up from his plate. "She only made you tell the story once, huh?" Yeah. She even helped tell it." Ziva spoke up. "She does that with us all the time." "Took awhile to tell it, because she added some new characters." Tony looked puzzled. "She knows that story forwards and backwards. Who would she add to it?" "Joseph and Kelly." Tony gave Gibbs an apologetic look. "Oh. I mentioned them when I was telling it last week. She caught on and asked me about them. Sorry Boss." It's ok. I don't mind that she knows. She asked me if I thought she was sent because I didn't get to finish loving Kelly." Tony started to ask if she was right but thought better of it, because he knew the answer. Ziva knew the answer too and gave voice to it. She placed her hand over his. "We are glad that you love our daughter as you loved your own." Standing, he picked up his plate. As he came around the end of the table, he leaned down and kissed Ziva's cheek. "I'm glad you let me love her Ziver." He looked at Tony. "I don't want to see you in the squad room today. Get some sleep." "Thanks Boss. For everything." Gibbs waved him off. "I'm gonna go look in on the kids and then, I'm leaving," he said over his shoulder.

Gibbs made his way down the hall. He came to Jack's room first. He smiled at the bright blue cast on the boy's wrist. Surely, there would be more bumps and bruises to come. He was a DiNozzo, after all. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the child's head. After watching the boy sleep for a few more minutes, he headed to Jenna's room. He went in and sat on the bed. Memories of his own little girl flitted through his mind as he watched Jenna sleep. There were times when it still hurt to think of Kelly, but having Tony's and Ziva's children in his life made the times that it did hurt a little less painful.


End file.
